Center for Communicating Science at Virginia Tech

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Center for Communicating Science at Virginia Tech Creating opportunities for scientists, scholars, health professionals, and others to develop their a

It's that time of year again! 👀The 2026 Nutshell Games are less than a month away, which means it's time to meet our pre...
10/13/2026

It's that time of year again! 👀

The 2026 Nutshell Games are less than a month away, which means it's time to meet our presenters! 🎉

Our first revealed presenter comes from Virginia Tech College of Ag & Life Sciences! Get to know Ashlee P. Sullivan's research and discover what more than 20 other Virginia Tech graduate students have been working hard to share in this fun, fast-paced presentation competition. The catch? They only have 90 seconds to explain their research! ⏱️

Spaghetti and public speaking? 🍝 Sounds like Ashlee has quite the topic to untangle! Get to the bottom of it at the Center for the Arts on November 7th at 4pm!

10/05/2026

✨ Flip the Fair 2026 was a day full of curiosity, creativity, and exciting science conversations!

Graduate students shared their research through interactive posters with fifth-grade students—who stepped into the role of science judges. 🧪🔍

From thoughtful questions to hands-on demonstrations, the event created a space for shared learning and showed how fun, accessible, and inspiring science communication can be.

A huge thank-you to our sponsors for making this event possible:
Roanoke Public Libraries Virginia Tech Graduate School - U.S. NSF COMPASS Center - Pandemic Prediction and Prevention Destination Area at Virginia Tech - FBRI Virginia Tech

And thank you to every presenter, volunteer, teacher, and student who brought their energy, knowledge, and curiosity to Flip the Fair! 💙🧡

VirginiaTech

10/01/2026

🎓🔬 Preparing the next generation of science communicators!
Graduate students Virginia Tech Graduate School Virginia Tech recently took part in a workshop led by our Co-Director of Research, Professor Brittney S. Harris, MFA Brittney S. Harris, as they prepare for Flip the Fair. 🌟 They practiced turning their research into clear, engaging, and accessible stories for fifth-grade audiences. 🗣️📚
Because great research deserves to be understood—and shared! 💡✨

09/21/2026

🔬Science on Tap is back with a new mystery: The Case of the Disappearing Water

Join geoscientist Esther Oyedele for an interactive journey into the hidden world of water. Discover how scientists use satellites, groundwater observations, and even subtle movements of the Earth’s surface to track changes in our water supply.

📅 Sept. 24
⏰ 5:30
📍 Rising Silo Brewery
2351 Glade Road, Blacksburg
💰 FREE

Hosted by the Center for Communicating Science at Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech’s chapter of Sigma Xi.

09/14/2026

The challenge is back! 🥜⚡

Can you explain your research, connect with an audience, and show why your work matters in just 90 seconds? Join the 2026 Nutshell Games!

The competition takes place November 7 at 4 p.m. at the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech Only 30 graduate students will have the opportunity to present.

📌 Registration is now open—apply through the link in our bio!

Science if for everyone — and it starts with connection.💫Last spring, graduate students in our Communicating Science cou...
09/09/2026

Science if for everyone — and it starts with connection.💫

Last spring, graduate students in our Communicating Science course teamed up with 6th and 7th graders at Macy McLaughtery Elementary and Middle School in Giles County to share their research through hands-on activities, games, and personal interactions.

These visits help rural students see that science is for them—that Virginia Tech and a future in STEM are possibilities within reach. For our graduate students, it’s also an opportunity to step outside the lab and practice communicating with an enthusiastic — and honest — audience. 😄

We’re excited for another semester of practicing the art of communication and building connections with students and communities across our region! 👏

Have you noticed climate change in your own backyard? 🌎That’s the question science journalist Katie Burke posed at April...
09/09/2026

Have you noticed climate change in your own backyard? 🌎

That’s the question science journalist Katie Burke posed at April’s event—and Southwest Virginia had plenty of answers.

Audience members pointed to wildfires, rising energy costs, crop challenges, and heat exposure as changes they’ve noticed in recent years. 🌡️🌲

Burke brought together Marsha Craiger, Jenny Hall, and Craig Ramseyer to explore how climate change is affecting our region, from heating and cooling costs to tick-borne illness, drought, and flooding.

Afterward, a “passport” activity encouraged audience members to connect with speakers, ask questions, and dig deeper into the topics.

🔗 Follow the newsletter link in our bio to read more about the event!

09/07/2026

September is here, and the Center for Communicating Science has an exciting month ahead!

Join us for engaging events that bring together science, creativity, communication, and community.
All the information is available through the link in our bio. Stay tuned for more updates and upcoming events!

We look forward to seeing you this month!

Virginia Tech

What if struggling in a class isn’t a reflection of what you’re capable of?As an undergraduate engineering student, Erne...
09/02/2026

What if struggling in a class isn’t a reflection of what you’re capable of?

As an undergraduate engineering student, Ernesto Cuesta Alvear struggled in a difficult telecommunications course. Everything changed when a fellow student explained the material in a way that finally clicked.

That experience changed how he thought about teaching—and ultimately inspired his research as a Ph.D. student in engineering education, where he studies how undergraduate students can get the most out of their classroom experiences.

Cuesta Alvear reflects on the lessons he learned, the hope he felt, and the teacher he strives to be in this self-written research story.📚 🔗Link in bio!

📸featuring Cuesta Alvear hosting an interactive exhibit about research processes for elementary students at Virginia Tech’s Hokie for a Day

08/28/2026

Great things happen when we learn together. ✨

As we wrap up our first week back, we’re celebrating the faculty who make Virginia Tech a place to learn, question, collaborate, and grow.

From supporting students and asking big questions to collaborating across disciplines and sharing their work beyond the lab, faculty bring curiosity, expertise, and a commitment to learning into everything they do.

We’re excited to wrap up by celebrating Hajira Younas, Saptarshi Chatterjee, Johnathan A. Czuba, and Nasim Akhtar and the work they’re doing to make an impact at Virginia Tech and beyond.

🎥 Watch their Nutshell Talks and get to know the people behind the research. Link in bio.

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ISCE Building, Grove Lane, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
24061

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